Give me your opinions on mp3 players...

I got an iPod shuffle for Xmas, but after thinking about the fact that it has no screen and I'd have to sift thru to find a song I want (like, say, Michael Jackson for a couch surfing demonstration, for example), I decided to return it. It was so small--I really liked it.*

My phone has an mp3 player built in, but I don't always want to have it sitting out on my desk and stuff.

The thing is, I don't know what to replace the Shuffle with. I mean, I'd be leaning toward the iPod mini (I like the red one), but I wonder how annoying it is that the files one gets from iTunes are officially supposed to play only on Apple products.

Do anyone have an opinion? Can iTunes files (.AAC, I believe) be burned to CD and reemerge as an .mp3 file (like so Dave and I could illicitly share songs?)?

And--can anyonetj explain what Zune is?

Help!

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GQBABkFI34
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